The Lockheed Constellation, New Monarch of the Air, Makes Its First
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Air mm TRANSCONTINENTAL Vol. 7, No. 1 r4C*£i+iC January, 1943 The huge size of the Constella This front-view closeup of the plane gives a clear picture of the tion is well illustrated in this new type engine nacelles incorporated into the Constellation design. photo. Four 2000 h.p. engines give the revolutionary plane a speed rivaling that of a Jap Zero fighter. TWA Assists The Lockheed Constellation, USC Establish New Monarch of the Air, Air Courses Veteran Employees Makes Its First Flight Will Give Lectures Plane Was Designed for TWA But An extensive course in Air Will Serve Army for Duration Transportation, preparing men and women for immediate job opportu Its four powerful 2,000 h. p. engines roaring, the Lockheed Con nities in the "Air Age," was es stellation swept into the air in Los Angeles January 9, marking the tablished January 4 at the Uni culmination of over three years of near-secret development. Conceived by Howard Hughes,r versity of Southern California, it The Constellation soars smoothly along on its maiden flight. Originally designed as a luxuri has been jointly announced by principal TWA stockholder, and ous TWA passenger liner, the air- President Rufus Von Kleinsmid of Jack Frye, president, the revolu conditioned cabin is pressurized to USC and TWA President Jack Establish Mail Record Collings and tionary plane originally was de maintain an air density of 8,000 Frye. signed and built by the Lockheed feet while the plane speeds along A new record in the carriage Aircraft Corporation for TWA. With veteran TWA employees at 20,000 to 35,000 feet "above the of air mail in a single month Conroy Named Instead of carrying passengers weather." TWA, it will be re assisting as instructors and guest was established by TWA in De and cargo over our transcontinental lecturers, six study subjects, cov called, pioneered scheduled passen cember from the standpoint of As Di rectors system, it and its sister-ships now ger flying in pressurized cabins ering approximately 20 different system as well as individual are destined for a greater role. airline positions, will be offered with our fleet of Stratoliners. routes. V. P. Conroy, traffic vice presi Clothed in the war-time garb of These planes too, are now on "ac students, according to Dr. C. C. The system total of mail army camouflage, the Constella Crawford and Dr. Park J. Ewart, dent, and J. C. Collings, operations tive duty" with the Army, being pound miles was 987,640,853 tion becomes the largest, fastest flown by the pilots of TWA's In coordinators of the University Col vice president, were elected to the with mail plane miles reaching TWA board of directors at a meet and most powerful land-based tercontinental Division. lege division. The classes are to 1,080,367. The average load was transport plane ever built, and be given at night. ing in Kansas City on December The Constellation incorporates 914.2 pounds. 28. when it reaches a stage of mass dozens of outstanding and unusual As the first all inclusive Air President Jack Frye announced production, will give the U. S. Air characteristics. From hundreds of Transportation courses to be of this field when the world returns that Mr. Conroy and Mr. Collings Forces greater troop and supply wind tunnel tests was evolved the fered by a university in the West, to peaceful pursuits. had been named to the directorate carrying potentialities by air than "perfect circle" fuselage, a long the twelve week studies are de James E. Hawthorne, Los Ange to fill vacancies, one of which was can be matched by any other na fish-like body that sweeps back to signed to adapt women and as les district traffic manager, and created when Paul E. Richter, ex tion. a triple tail. The wing, which re many men as are eligible dur Ralph Payne, western manager ecutive vice president and direc Although there was no ceremony sembles that of a P-38 Lightning ing the war emergency for domes of air express and air mail, will tor, went into the Navy. or speeches, the first flight was fighter, seems to extend out almost not made, however, without some from the center of the plane, tic and foreign airline employment, act as instructors but experienced Mr. Conroy, a veteran of the air fanfare, but it was of the spon heightening the effect of the long according to the announcement. meteorologists, operating execu transport industry since 1925, taneous kind. Hundreds of persons nose. "The world has already entered tives, maintenance, flight control joined TWA in 1938 as sales man the Air Age," said Dr. Von Klein around the Lockheed airport had For all its size and power, it has and passenger service officials will ager and was elected vice president seen the plane on the ground and smid. "Miracles in transportation be guest lecturers. Ralph Hinkel, in charge of traffic in May of a normal landing speed, coming in are not ahead of us, but here—and knew its test hop must be near. at about 77 m.p.h. on its dual- educational supervisor, prepared the following year. When it sped down the field on its the years ahead will be as different wheeled tricycle landing gear. much of the instruction material. Mr. Collings, a pilot for 20 years, final run and lifted easily into the from the immediate past as the Among other features, there are The special studies for future was associated with the airplane air, applause broke out from the present is from the days of the dual brakes and automatic fire con airline employees will be as fol division of the Ford Motor Com thrilled spectators. ox cart. The University of South trol system for safety, twin super lows: pany when he joined Transcon The huge ship is faster than a chargers to maintain air pressure, ern California wishes to do its Orientation for airline employ tinental Air Transport, a TWA Japanese Zero fighter or any four- a "hot wing" de-icing system, re part in awaking America to what ees—brief survey of nature and predecessor company, in 1928. engined bomber now in active serv serve flying range to outreach has come about and prepare it for scope of airline services, routes, With TWA, he rose through the ice. It can cross the continent storms and hydraulic boosters to what is ahead." ranks until he became superinten schedules, duties, functions, organ non-stop in less than nine hours, eliminate pilot fatigue. An engine In congratulating the University dent of operations in 1939 with ization, operation and problems. fly to Honolulu in twelve. The Con can be changed in 45 minutes. for its farsightedness, Mr. Frye headquarters in Kansas City and Airlines Freight and Cargo Man stellation at cruising speed at half Originally the plane was to have said that the courses in Air Trans on last May 13 was elected vice agement—Expediting war ship power is approximately 100 miles had a luxurious interior that would president of operations, succeed portation offer students an oppor ments, interpreting and applying an hour faster than standard air- have surpassed that of the Strato ing L. G. Fritz, now chief of op tunity to participate in enormous rate tables, counseling of shippers, cargo or airline ships flying the liner in offering all that was tops erations of the ATC. advantages which await youth in (Continued on page 8) airways today. (Continued on page 3, col. 2) Page 2 THE SKYLINER January, 1943 THE SKYLINER PUBLISHED MONTHLY IN KANSAS CITY, MO. Public Information Department. Transcontinental and Western Air, Inc. Editor L*o Baron News Editor, New York R. I. Robinson "Oz" Cocke, general traffic man Mananino Editor Hal Grayson News Editor, Chicago Virgil Cory Associate Editor William Dixon News Editor, Los Angeles C. W. Dayhoff ager, is one of TWA's "old timers." William Sumits Chief Photographer John Randazzo Photographer On that eventful afternoon of Georgia Bryan Assistant Photographer July 7, 1929, when the first trans Issued between the 20th and 30th of each month. Contributions should be in the hands of the editor not later than the 10th of the month preceding publication. Address all contributions continental air-rail service was in to The Skyliner, Kansas City, Missouri. augurated, Oz Cocke, passenger agent at Los Angeles, dispatched the first east-bound flight, with Officers Col. Charles A. Lindbergh at the T. B. Wilson Chairman of the Board Jack Frye President controls. Oz sold the first ticket on E. Lee Talman Executive Vice-President the West Coast and he was at the John A. Collings Vice-President, Operations V. P. Conroy Vice-President, Traffic field when the first west-bound C. E. Fleming Vice-President and Assistant Secretary flight came in. Schedules presented J. C. Franklin Vice-President, Engineering "Do you suppose I could be a 'No Show' today, sir?" John M. Lockhart Secretary and Treasurer no problems in the days when the C. W. Herre Assistant Treasurer commercial airlines were going C. A. Gress Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer E. C. Peet Comptroller through their growing pains. Directors Transportation is second nature SOTA Kail at Ifmwr LaMotte T. Cohu Northrop Aircraft, Inc., Hawthorne, California to this general traffic manager. John A. Collings Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. Son of an Army officer, he has V. P. Conroy Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. (Employees Going on Military Leave of Absence) been constantly on the go since the NAME POSITION DEPT. LOCATION Powel Crosley, Jr Crosley Radio Corp., Cincinnati, Ohio Arta Baskin Cleaner Operations DO Ralph S.